1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a craft such as a hovercraft that employs one or more specially configured hovercraft fans.
2. General Background of the Invention
There is a growing demand for quieter and more efficient aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles or UAV's. Until now the centrifugal fan has been overlooked due to the heavy solid construction required for stability of the fans complex geometry.
The original hovercraft engineers in the late 1960's used a type of centrifugal fan as the best solution for the needs of that unique aircraft. However they failed to find a lightweight fan that was able to absorb the power needed and flexible enough to accommodate the gyrating craft motions.
On hovercraft and light aircraft in which not so quiet, lightweight propulsion is required the choice has been limited to multi-bladed axial fans of larger diameter.
The following is incorporated herein by reference:
YIHUA CAO, DONG LI, QIANG ZHANG, HANG BIAN, “Recent Development of Rotorcraft Configuration”, Recent Patents on Engineering, 1, 49-70, 2007.